Related Links

CLAYTON • Shelby A. Dasher admitted beating her
toddler to death in a rage at her Affton-area home, officials said
this afternoon after filing a second-degree murder charge against
her.

St. Louis County police were several hours into a search for
Tyler Dasher, 13 months old, when passers-by found his body about
3:30 p.m. Tuesday near the edge of the wooded New St. Marcus
Cemetery, just off River Des Peres Boulevard.

It is several blocks from the house in the 7700 block of
Clevedon Street where Shelby Dasher lived with her son and her
mother.

Dasher was ordered held in the St. Louis Justice Center in
Clayton in lieu of $500,000 bail.

"At this point, there's no indication that we have that there's
anyone else involved other than Miss Dasher," said Robert P.
McCulloch, the prosecuting attorney, in a press conference about
3:20 p.m. today in the Justice Center.

He said the investigation continues but would not elaborate.

According to McCulloch, Dasher, 20, arrived home at about 2:30
a.m. Tuesday. Her mother left for work about 7:30 a.m. Tyler would
not stop crying and Dasher beat him to death and disposed of the
body. What happened after that is "a bit fuzzy," the prosecutor
said.

Dasher called police about 11 a.m. to claim the child was
missing.

Police and the FBI mounted a massive search while questioning
the mother. They noted there was no forced entry.

Tyler's father, Joe Ellington, lives elsewhere in the St. Louis
area.

McCulloch said the child died of blunt-force trauma. He said
that "as far as we know" Dasher carried the body to the cemetery.
He said officials are not aware of any prior acts of abuse.

McCulloch said second-degree murder represents a "hot-blooded
murder" as opposed to first-degree, which would be a "cold-blooded
murder" involving cool deliberation first.

St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch said his officers worked
tirelessly to close the case and reassure the community that "there
was not some other person out there."

One of the first officers on the case was a lieutenant
experienced in child abuse cases who realized "this was not just a
missing child," he said.

Fitch said a report of a man seen carrying a child at about the
time Tyler was reported missing Tuesday turned out not to be
related to the murder.

"We're convinced that that has absolutely nothing to do with
this case," Fitch said.

Dasher's Facebook page features an album with about 20 photos of
Tyler when he was smaller.

On Facebook, Dasher became a fan of "Being Mommy."

Among the favorite television shows listed are the MTV reality
show "Teen Mom" and "First 48 Hours," an apparent reference to the
A&E documentary series "The First 48," which follows the
initial hours of homicide investigations.